Suchergebnisse

Discusses changes in the discourse on environmentalism & sustainability. In the past several different interpretations of environmental problems & their treatment have been established. It is argued that all major strands of former discourses have been integrated in the recent sustainability discourse. Therefore sustainability has become a universal argument, which does not imply specific consequences & allows nearly all kinds of actions. 30 References. Adapted from the source document.

This literary overview examines the following studies on energy politics: a handbook published by the International Energy Agency; three political science dissertations: Stefan Rieder compares the developments of political energy strategies of three countries, Susanne K. Schmidt focuses on the role of the European Commission, & Haaland Matlary examines the roles of the four big EC states & EC agencies regarding the development of the European domestic energy market; an anthology compiled by Roland Sturm & Stephen Wilks regarding political economy; a judicial review (Schneider), seven dissertations, five expert reports, & several anthologies of the Instit of Energy in Cologne regarding political science & energy politics; two economic dissertations, one by Rudiger Hermann regarding options of competitive order in a common European electricity market, & another by Franz Hoster examining the consequences of a common European electricity market & its impact on the German electricity economy; a review by Heinz Welsch of problems relating to climate protection, energy politics, & the general economy; & an anthology (Capello, Nijkamp, Pepping) focusing on development strategies in cities. 55 References. E. Sanchez

Describes the activities of the Salecina Vacation & Education Center in Alpine Maloja, Switzerland, which, since its 1971 founding, has housed more than 10,000 mostly German- & Italian-speaking artists, intellectuals, & leftist theorists & activists. The retreat was started by journalist & agitator Theo Pinkus & his wife, Amalie Pinkus-De Sassi, & has been visited by members of numerous leftist, alternative, & green groups, parties, & movements. The center's financial resources, model of participation, & future plans are sketched. E. Blackwell

Assesses the successes & failures of the ecology movement & how they should best be measured, in the context of current debates over global warming & other environmental issues. Successes such as the enhanced impact of environmental initiatives & organizations resulting from large environmental conferences (the Climate Convention, Convention on Biological Diversity) & increased environmental awareness are constrasted with continued worldwide environmental destruction. The difficulties in measuring success are seen in the paradox between these developments. It is argued that complex longitudinal causal analyses combining political & ecological factors are required, as protest event & media coverage analyses, surveys, & election results provide only partial indicators of ecological success. The history of the antinuclear movement & energy politics (reduction of greenhouse gases) are presented as examples. It is concluded that the development of concrete guidelines for action & efficiency scenarios, successful alliance politics, & establishing cross-generational environmental awareness are the best measures of the success of ecological movements. 24 References. Adapted from the source document.

Offers the thesis that local ecological problems are often swept aside by a focus on global interactions & assignments of blame. The term ecology in its historical context & the origins of ecological politics are evaluated. The interdependence between poverty & environmental destruction at the local level is demonstrated, as is the interaction between nature & human activity. It is concluded that a dialectic understanding of the exchange process between nature & human beings should be developed, stressing the social organization of productive & reproductive work. In this manner, the human population becomes the subject of sustainable development rather than a factor of ecological disturbance. 50 References. Adapted from the source document.

Work on the history & development of the environmental movement in France conducted at the U of Potsdam, Germany, is reported. The growing acceptance of environmentalism, the construction of a future-oriented platform of ecology & social justice, environmental groups & their methods, the role of nuclear energy, & French political structures are mentioned. Differences & connections between German & French environmentalists, as well as publications resulting from the research, are highlighted. E. Blackwell

How strong is the German environmental movement? Here, general sympathizers, formal members of environmental groups & organizations, active members of these organizations, & participants in environmental protest are differentiated, based on general opinion surveys, a protest event analysis, & a survey among environmental organizations, nationally & in Berlin. Whereas the number of passive, formal members has increased during the 1990s, active members & protest participants have stagnated or slightly decreased. A closer look at young people leaves the impression that the environmental movement will remain a player in German politics but a major impulse from the movement is not very likely. 13 References. Adapted from the source document.

Introduces several papers (see abstracts of related articles) that explore the use of mediation to solve political conflicts involving new social movements. Various forms of mediation (eg, active mediator vs more removed facilitator) are described, & reasons for the development of mediation as a popular alternative to other forms of conflict regulation are considered. The latter include deficits in traditional state mechanisms, general neoliberal deemphasis on the state, political dehierarchicalization, increasing complexity, & new types of political problems (eg, technological & environmental planning). Use of mediation to prevent or deescalate armed conflict is also discussed. Contributions analyze how mediation redraws old lines of conflict, risks involved in environment-related mediation for organizational actors in the environmental movement, data mediation, & difficulties implementing mediation procedures & their outcomes. 5 References. E. Blackwell

Describes the Tu-was movement in the Federal Republic of Germany as a form of civic engagement that links the environmental movement with classical institutions of education (eg, the Volkshochschulen), creating a new quality of local political participation. The Tu-was concept was initiated by Munich sociologist & adult education specialist Richard Hausler, based on the idea of situated self-learning. The model has five basic characteristics/goals: professionalism, group autonomy, public sphere orientation, political capability, & scientific grounding. The concept was put into practice at a Bavarian school in 1985. Over five years, Tu-was groups produced 50 initiatives; 10 groups currently exist. The movement is considered an antidote to resignation & political apathy. E. Blackwell